CRICKET

Waipukurau Press, Volume XXII, Issue 289, 21 November 1928, Page 6

CRICKET

The Test Eleven

AUSTRALIAN SIDE SELECTED

RYDER APPOINTED AS CAPTAIN

By Telegraph —Copyright—Press Assn,

SYDNEY,, Nov. 20,

The selectors have chosen the following twelve players from whom the first team for Australia will be selected: — Ryder (captain), Victoria. Ponsford, Victoria. Woodfull, Victoria. Ironmonger, Victoria. Hendry, Victoria. Gregory, New South Wales. Bradman, New South Wales. Kelleway, New South Wales. Kippax, New South Wales. Oldfield, New South Wales. • Grimmett, South Australia. Oxenham, Queensland.

CAPTAINCY UNEXPECTED.

WARNER EXPRESSES OPINION.

LONDON, Nov. 20.

Reviewers agree that the big surprise is Ryder’s captaincy. Woodfull and Richardson had been regarded as the only two candidates, with Kippax a distant third. Apart from this aspect, the general opinion is that the selection is obvious, with the exception of Richardson’s omission.

Warner admits that he is surprised, but says that Ryder is senior to the others and has had much test experience. He is seen to best advantage when in a forcing role. Warner adds: “Ryder- is a pleasant, easy man, and will make a nice opposite to our captain.’’ The “Daily Telegraph” recalls that Ryder accomplished so little in the tests in 1926 that he was dropped for the final test at the Oval. It confesses that it is unable to understand why Richardson was omitted. Furthermore, preference for Hendry as twelfth man over Andrews is one of the pronounced features of the selection, in its opinion. AN ENGLISH OPINION. W’riting in the October number of the “Windsor,” R. W. E. Wilmot, an authoritative writer about Australian cricket, predicted that the following players would provide the best fifteen from which to select the test teams to battle for the ashes: — Woodfull. Ponsford, Kippax, Ryder, Hendry, Andrews, Bradman, Jackson (batsmen), Blackie, A’Beckett, Gregory, Grimmett, McNamee, Nicholls (bowlers), and Oldfield (wicketkeeper). The article showed that for 1928-28 Rowe (Queensland), Schneider ( South Australia), Thompson, Harris, Gregory, O’Connor, Grimmett, Hack, A’Beckett, Oldfield, and Blackie figured among the leading batsmen, and Oxenham (Queensland, W T a’l (South Australia), Morton, Ironmonger, Scott, and Mailey (the latter’s average was 51.32 as compared with Oxenham’s 19.5), bowlers. Ponsford had an average of 152.12 for eight big fixtures, and Woodfull 12 9 for seven games, Kippax, Hendry, Ryder, and Rowe being nxet in order. In the recent match between an Australian eleven and the Englishmen, Morgan (batsman) and Nothling, Bettington and Hooker (bowlers) were new players of note. Bettington, and Harris, as a batsman, have made their marks in this match, also Hooker as a browler. For the test team selection the selectors have -named the following twelve: —Ryder (captain), Ponsford, Woodfull, Ironmonger, Bradman, Hendry, Gregory. Kelleway, Kippax, Oldfield, Grimmett, and Oxenham. The public surprises of the team are the inclusion of Hendry and the omission of Richardson.